National Caught Out Playing Underhanded Politics

The National Party has been caught playing
underhanded politics in Tauranga, says New Zealand First
Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Earlier in August Mr
Peters and the New Zealand First candidate Clayton Mitchell
pledged to remove the Route K debt of $64 million and the
Route K tolls, which were not working as planned because
motorists were taking an alternative route.

“The local
member of Parliament, the Hon Simon Bridges, said the plan
was ‘stupid and dopey’.

“What has now transpired
with the release of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council
agenda for its next meeting on August 27 (agenda page 3) is
deeply disturbing,” says Mr Peters.

It reveals the
following:

1. The government being jolted out of doing
nothing after almost six years.

2. Arranging for NZTA to
pick up Route K as a State Highway and the $63 of debt ($1
million remains).

3. Tolls are to be kept on Route K. The
agenda shows the government set to pass the matter in
Cabinet and then get the Governor General’s signature.
Worse still, and the agenda shows it on page three, all this
to be done before the election

“Despite the government
being in a caretaker role, they are pushing ahead with an
agreement on the toll gantry equipment and then using this
devious action as an argument against New Zealand First
seeking to get rid of the debt and the tolls.

“In short,
it exposes National’s inertia, then being pricked into
action over the debt (18 per cent of Tauranga City Council
total debt), and then trying to stop the one party that was
bringing pressure to bear to fix this problem.

“The
conventions of a caretaker government’s role are being
flouted, and Mr Bridges has been exposed as “Simple
Simon”.

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